This Week on ‘Long Range Pursuit’ – S1 E16 Colorado Elk at Half Mile

USA-(Ammoland.com)- This week, Aaron is hunting with his good friends Trent and Cheryl Snyder with Silver Spur Outfitters in Colorado.

The Snyders want the herd to be comfortable on the ranch, so they hunt the elk carefully — never where the elk bed.

Because they’re trying not to upset the herd, it takes Aaron and Cheryl a while to catch a big bull out in the open.

Long Range Shooting Tip: Part I

Today, we’re talking about rifle fit. How you position your hands, face, chin, and body will have a dramatic effect on your shot, so it’s important that your position is correct.

Grip – Your grip is extremely important. Ideally, you should lay your thumb on the wrist of the stock and pull the stock into your shoulder with your pinky and ring finger.

Cheek – The second part of a fit is anchoring your cheek onto the rifle stock. You’ll use your jaw as an anchor and your cheek to apply down-pressure.

Body – The final part of the fit is body position. It’s important that you’re comfortable so you can maintain the position without inducing fatigue or muscle tremors. Support your body with your bones, not muscles, and find a position that you can maintain for several minutes without fatigue.

The Hunt: Part II

Aaron and Cheryl see a few good-sized elk, but decide to hold out for a really big bull. Cheryl suggests heading around to the back side of the ranch, where there are some long site-lines. There they spot a couple more good bulls but a shift in the wind exposes them.

Long Range Shooting Tip: Part II

It’s important to remain still before and during your shot. Your body moves when you breathe, so you need to hold your breath to become motionless for five to ten seconds. You won’t be able to do this after breathing out all your air, nor do you want to take a full breath — there’s a sweet spot between completely full and completely empty where you can remain perfectly still for the few crucial seconds. Once you find that sweet spot, you should oxygenate your blood by taking a couple deep breaths before getting settled in for your shot.

The Hunt: Part III

Aaron and Cheryl spot some elk moving into a clearing within range. After waiting a while, a bull finally appears but moves back into cover before they can line up the shot. As night falls and they lose their light, they decide to call it a day.

Next, Aaron talks about follow-through. Once you squeeze the trigger, the rifle will recoil about 1/10th of an inch before the round leaves the barrel. That gives you plenty of time to mess up the shot by lifting your head or jerking the rifle.

Following through with the shot forces us to remain in the firing position so that we don’t ruin the shot after squeezing the trigger.

The Hunt: Part IV

Finally, Aaron spot a good-sized bull out in the open. He’s about 890 yards out, so it’s not an easy shot. With Cheryl spotting, Aaron sights in the bull and takes his shot. One shot and the bull drops. Perfect!